Embracing The Randomness Of It All

Today in an email I made a reference to "fate," joking that I believe in it when it's convenient to do so. But that's not really true. I never believe in fate. Men at bars keep asking me if I do and my answer is always the same: no, no, no. And I don't just tell them that because they're idiots (although they are...I think that line stopped being original around 1931). I simply don't believe that everything happens for some mystical reason. I think we all have free will and sometimes we handle circumstances well, sometimes we screw things up and sometimes our cars break down when we're low on cash. I know I'm in the minority here but I honestly believe in the randomness of life.

I used to believe that whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger but now I don't know...there seem to be a lot of seriously messed up, vulnerable people out there in the world; people who use drugs and alcohol to drown the memories of...well of the things that didn't kill them. Are those people stronger than they would have been if they hadn't been hurt? Perhaps the saying should be, "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger provided you seek therapy and/or have a strong support system."

There is no shortage of pithy little expressions that are supposed to teach us life management lessons. Many of them were first uttered by some of the great minds of the 20th century: Einstein, Albert Schweitzer, Barbra Kingsolver, Carl Sandburg just to name a few. But under careful scrutiny many of their most repeated quotes don't hold up. In fact the pithier the expression the less likely it is to really hold true. That's not cynicism...well, okay maybe it's a little cynical but mostly it's just an inevitable conclusion I've come to after observing the nature of modern life.

But there are a few quotes that do seem to succinctly state unfailingly reliable truths. I find that those quotes are usually thought up by marketing departments. Like "Life shrinks and expands in proportion to your courage." I really believe that. If you have the courage to pursue your dreams and fight for what you believe in then your possibilities expand. Anyway, the quote was printed on the wrapper of a Pria bar and while I'm not exactly sure what any of it has to do with the benefits of protein bars I still really like it.

Another expression the I frequently pull out of my pocket during stressful times is "Control Your Controllables." I don't know who said that. Unless Websters recently embraced it "controllables" isn't even a real word. But it was an expression that I was frequently beaten over the head with when I was twenty-years old and managing an Express. Corporate was always telling me to control my controllables. Obviously I can't control if it's a rainy day or a sunny day but I can make sure that the few customers who come in during the rainy days get the best service possible. It's a lesson that works in life too. There are always going to be things you can't control. In fact you won't be able to control most things. But you can make an effort to stay on top of the things that are within your control and that will help lessen the impact of all those uncontrollables that occasionally make life difficult.

So I'm not the kind of girl who is going to check her horoscope for advice and if you tell me that something was "meant to be," I might quickly change the subject in order to avoid a debate. But I will try to stay on top of my responsibilities, take advantage of positive opportunities and I will do what I can to live my life with courage. In other words while I remain a major Einstein fan I'm going to let the Pria bar be my guide.

Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!

Psst! Want A Free Taste?

Well, the last 8 days have been challenging. I've just been dealing with life's little unexpected twists and turns but today I have a sense of clarity that I didn't have before. I've chosen a path and I'm clear about what I'm doing. That doesn't mean everything's easy now but at least the anxiety of indecision has been alleviated. For those of you who have been emailing me or trying to contact me through Facebook and Twitter I apologize for my recent neglect. I needed to take a step back and breath.

And now that I'm back in the land of the living I'm hoping that my Bay Area readers will join me in a little celebration at CocoaBella Chocolates in San Francisco (the Union Street location). I'll be reading, answering your questions and of course I'll be signing any books you bring me. But as far as I'm concerned what makes this particular event special is that there will be FREE CHOCOLATES AND ESPRESSO!!!! Yes, it's the little things that get me excited, although perhaps an book signing/chocolate tasting isn't a "little thing." After all, these chocolates are pretty special.

Anyway, the event is August 8th at 2:00 at:

CocoaBella Chocolates

2102 Union Street, San Francisco, CA 94123

Bring your Sophie books, your friends and your appetite (yeah, I know...what kind of person has to be hungry in order to taste chocolate?)

As for the rest of you please remember that the Sophie Katz contest is still going on through August 15th. If you want to know how you can be entered for a chance to win a Labor Day weekend trip to San Francisco just click the link!

Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!

I Shouldn't Poke Fun But You Have To Laugh

So this is my hometown. Santa Cruz, just a little south of San Francisco and so very...interesting. Now you can see how I can come up with so many insane characters so easily.

Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!

A Little Fun For Your Weekend

Even if you personally would never do this at your own wedding you have to admit that it's a lot of fun to watch. Enjoy.

Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!

Sex Available August 6th ; )

Those of you who keep up with me on Facebook and Twitter know that the reprint of Sex, Murder And A Double Latte was delayed due to an error at the publishing house and won't be available until August 6th. Many of you have told me that in your eagerness to get the book you've decided to go to a used book store or order it through my publisher's website.

To be honest that's incredibly flattering...but if you can I need you to wait. My publishing house has been very good to me and I'm truly lucky to be with them (my editor rocks!). But it was hard to convince them that, unlike with straight forward romance novels, a murder mystery series needs to have all the books in the series available to ensure success of the subsequent books and ultimately the survival of the series itself. It would have been nice if the fact that Sex, Murder had such phenomenal sales during the years it was on the shelves or the fact that the audio book version continues to be an international bestseller on iTunes four years after its release was enough to convince the powers that be to see things my way but sadly it wasn't. In the end what convinced them was a combination of strong sales for Lust, Loathing And A Little Lip Gloss (THANK YOU) and lots of emails from readers and booksellers asking if they might carry Sex, Murder And A Double Latte in their store (THANK YOU). So now Sex, Murder is being reprinted but if it and all the other Sophie books are going to continue to be available I'm going to have to prove my point to my publisher in the most definitive way possible.

If you want another copy of Sex, Murder And A Double Latte or you know a friend who you think might enjoy the series go to your favorite bookstore or bookseller website and order it on August 6th. If the bookstore tells you that it's out of print tell them that it's just been reprinted and is now available for order. If you are short of funds (and so many of us are these days) ask your library to order the book for the branch.

I recently wrote that I had thought I was going to end the Sophie series but then changed my mind. What changed my mind was my publisher's new willingness to reprint Sex, Murder in light of Lust, Loathing And A Little Lip Gloss' early success. Now there are some Hollywood Studios interested in the series and again, that interest will be encouraged with the success of this reprint.

I realize this might sound a tad desperate and perhaps I don't have the right to be desperate because my career is looking pretty good right now. But I just have such high hopes for my Sophie. I want her to thrive and live a long, fabulous life. So what do you say? Can you help my girl?

Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!

Not In A Happy-Camper-Mood-Right-Now

I had a horrible weekend. I hurt someone who absolutely does not deserve to be hurt. The worst part about it is that I can’t apologize for it because I know I did the right thing. I just revealed the truth but sometimes the truth absolutely sucks.

Now everybody can make their decisions based on the facts instead of incorrect assumptions. Some of those decisions could wreck havoc on my emotions. Just waiting to see how everything is going to turn out is gut wrenchingly awful.

And you know, this weekend started out so wonderfully. Friday night and a good part of Saturday were pretty great. If I could have just been a little more selfish I could have kept my mouth shut and saved the bad news for a time when I could have been tad more removed from the immediate fallout. Then I could have enjoyed Saturday night and Sunday as well. I did try to lighten my mood Sunday night by watching Mama Mia while sipping at a Strawberry Lemonade Martini but of course that didn’t work. I should have rented a horror movie and drank out of the friggin’ bottle because no amount of froth was going to be enough to make me laugh.

But again, my only real regret is that the truth isn’t different than it is. God, I can’t tell you how much I regret that. But telling the truth? No, that had to be done. And who knows, maybe everything will work out but even so I think tonight I’ll be exchanging Mama Mia for The Reaping. A bunch of old testament-style plagues causing havoc in modern America might just be unrealistic enough for me to escape into. Singing, dancing people will only remind me of what this weekend could have been about…and wasn’t.


Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!

Mixing It Up

Today I fell in love...with a line of hair products. I don't want to turn this into a beauty blog but I really have to tell you about Mixed Chicks conditioners. They're designed for multiracial women and I was told that it's Halle Berry's new favorite product. I'm usually highly skeptical of celebrity advice but this was an unpaid endorsement and you have to admit that if there's one thing Halle absolutely knows about it's being beautiful.

I actually haven't been unhappy with how my hair's been looking but I have noticed that since I've moved to LA it's been a lot more fragile. Maybe it's because of the heat, or the sweat caused by the heat or by the forced air of all the air conditioners or the smog or the who-the-hell-knows-what but every time I comb I have breakage. So I figured I might as well give this Mixed stuff a go.

This morning I tired the deep conditioner and the leave-in conditioner. I combed my hair while the deep conditioner was in and the breakage was noticeably less (which is pretty amazing for first time use). Then I tried the leave-in conditioner. I usually mix my leave-in conditioner with Alterna Hemp Texturizing Glaze but I figured I'd give Mixed Chicks a chance to work on its own. It does feel a bit stiff at first but it turns soft as soon as it dries. And my curls? PERFECT! Perfect, perfect, perfect, perfect. Totally soft, totally defined and totally pretty and it was above 90 degrees today, I worked out (and sweated), I blasted the air conditioner and...well, this is LA so it's always smoggy. Still PERFECT!

I am such a happy (mixed) chick right now. I feel like I need to go out so I can toss my hair around.

Thank you Halle!

Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!

Weird Science

I don't spend a lot of money on skin care. It's not because I'm cheap or don't think it's important but it's because I have fairly oily skin and the really expensive creams and exfoliants either make me break out or make me even more prone to shine than I already am (when I did that two day shoot with the Style Network a few years back we literally had to stop every 10-15 minutes so the make-up artist could powder me down). So I stick to the highly effective Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub ($6) and Purpose oil-free moisturizer with SPF 15 ($9).

Which is why it's so surprising that I just shelled out $75 for an eye cream. No, my eyes aren't in bad shape. You can't see my crows feet unless I break into a Cheshire cat grin but I believe in preventative measures (which is why I won't leave the house without sunscreen and use moisturizer despite not having dry skin). So when someone told me about the virtues of Neocurtis Lumière I was interested. I was told it won't irritate your skin no matter how sensitive your skin might be (no little white bumps like some of the heavier eye creams). I was also told by a particularly passionate user that it will soften even the sharpest crows feet although what attracted me the most was the claim that it would reduce dark circles and puffiness (problems which I am occasionally plagued by).

So I went online to do some research and what I discovered tripped me out! Neocurtis (a San Francisco based company) imports this stuff from Switzerland where it was originally developed. They use something called PSP® or Processed Skin Cell Proteins. What that means is they developed this eye cream using fetal skin tissue.

My first thought was, "Wait a minute, we're having knock-down-drag-out debates over whether or not it's ethical to use stem cell research to find a cure for Parkinson's Disease but we can use fetal skin to develop eye cream? REALLY? But apparently the skin graft used to develop this cream was actually taken from a patient during a period of scarless wound healing. Scientists then used the cells in that skin sample to "harvest" more cells and now, from that one little bit of skin, they have created billions of skin cells that they're freezing and harvesting and...well distributing. In other words when you use this cream you're actually taking new skin cells and putting them on the old skin cells around your eyes.

It's weird. It's a little creepy and I just have to try it. My passion for the bizarre is just to intense for me to pass this up. Besides, new skin cells seems more natural than say, oh, I don't know, injecting toxins into your face. The product is very popular here in LA (of course) and those who use it never fail to rave about it. I don't know how well it will work on my skin but I promise to let you know after I've been using it for a few weeks.

Fetal skin cells...seriously trippy.

Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!

8 Kidneys

We are constantly being bombarded with news about some guy who murdered another guy or some corporation who knowingly shipped contaminated food to grocery stores and so on and so forth. Perhaps that’s why the 8 kidney story took me off guard. For those of you who haven’t heard it: a man decided to donate his kidney to anyone who needed it. He figured it would be a good way to give thanks to God for seeing his daughter through brain cancer years ago. So he just called Johns Hopkins and basically said, “Hey, I got a spare kidney here. You want it, it’s yours.” I’m majorly paraphrasing here but you get the idea.

This obviously goes way beyond the normal give-up-chocolate-for-a-month-and-give-the-SPCA-a-buck kind of “ giving-thanks.” This man was actually willing to give away one of his major organs. I realize that long-term complications from a kidney donation are extremely rare but STILL! It’s a big deal.

Which makes it even more amazing that the receiving patient’s sister who had been ready to be the donor (but wasn’t a match) decided to give HER kidney to anyone who needed it. The person who needed it had a wife who wasn’t a match for him so the wife donated HER kidney to yet another unknown individual and it went on and on until 8 people had donated their kidneys to 8 different people that they had never met before. Some of these people had to fly to a different state so they could donate in the same hospital where the person they happened to be a match for was staying.

It’s the kind of story that knocks the cynicism right out of you. I’m not suggesting that everybody call their local hospital right now and ask them if they’d like to take out one of your organs (although if you feel up to it by all means, donate) but maybe next time you have the opportunity to do something truly good but don’t want to because of the inconvenience you might want to stop and think about this story. I mean seriously, if every time we were asked to serve the greater good we stopped and asked ourselves, “Hey, is it going to be harder than giving up a kidney? No? Than I’m in,” the world would be a better place.



Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!

Disagreeig Without Being An Ass...er, Disagreeable

In the July/August issue of The Atlantic performer/humorist/novelist Sandra Tsing Loh published an article in which she detailed her observations about marriage in light of her impending divorce. The last two words should tell you something about the article’s tone and conclusions. But it’s not an angry article and it’s certainly doesn’t surmount to the rantings of a deranged marriage. During this period in Loh’s life she doesn’t think marriage is all that it’s cracked up to be. I felt the same way about marriage during the first few years after my divorce and even now my feelings about the institution are ambivalent (although I am a major fan of engagements. I whole-heartedly support any reasonably legitimate exchange that involves free jewelry). I suspect Loh’s feelings about marriage will soften in the coming years even if she does decide to stay single. It’s also important to note that (as in all her pieces) she only lists her transgressions and faults, never her husband’s. In this case all we know is that he travels (as a working musician) 20 weeks out of the year and she had a brief affair, which she confessed to. In the end she decided she actually didn’t want to fight for her marriage. She wanted to move on. Obviously I think people should end the marriage before starting the affair rather than have an affair as a passive-aggressive way to end a marriage but that said I do Loh’s article was, on a whole, a logical, thoughtful and frequently funny piece. If nothing else you should read it just so you can get another perspective about marriage and the way we approach it within the borders of the United States. LA Times Blog editor, Tony Pierce posted the link on the LA Times website along with the question, “Is Sandra Tsing Loh right?”

Here is some quotes from the LA Times reader responses:

Comment #1 quote: Sandra Tsing Loh is the perfect 21st-Century media tornado. She provides virtually nothing in exchange for the privilege of sucking not only the air out of the room but everything else. Right down to the studs….I do not write that last sentence lightly. For Loh recently embarked on one of the most nauseating campaigns of self-justification since the Nuremberg Trials.

Comment #2 quote: I can't believe the editors at the Atlantic would see fit to publish such an embarrassing exhibition of a profoundly flawed character.

Comment #3 quote: She ought to stayed locked up in that storage unit for a long time, she can't be safe n the streets of la right now.

Comment #4 quote: I'm not sure I respect her opinion much anymore.

In other words that last comment was written by someone who used to respect Loh’s opinions but now feels that because she disagrees with her on this one issue she can’t respect any of her opinions ever again. What bothered me most about these comments was not that people felt the need to defend marriage but that they felt the need to do it in such an angry, hateful way. These people were SO defensive it was as if…oh, I don’t know…THEY WERE UNHAPPY WITH THEIR OWN MARRIAGES.

But again, I’m not all that concerned about the commenters marriages and to be honest I’m not even that concerned about Loh’s marriage. If she’s going to cheat her husband is clearly better off without her and apparently she agrees. It’s sad and all but it’s not uncommon. I don’t know these people and I’m not going to lose any sleep over it. But I am concerned with our inability to debate without becoming insulting. I don’t understand why someone not believing in something that you believe in (even something you believe in strongly) is evidence of them being a profoundly flawed Nazi who deserved to be locked up in a storage closet. Nor do I understand why we have to shoot a doctor in the name of a “Pro-Life” campaign (I mean, come on, does anyone else see the irony in that?). I also don’t think it’s fair to say everyone who thinks abortion is wrong is ipso facto a religious fanatic who can’t think for his or herself. People who send their kids to private school are not elite segregationists. The people who homeschool are not all tie-dye wearing ideological fruitcakes. Will we ever get to a place where we can acknowledge that those who have opposing views actually have a point? It might not be a point that you will ever agree with. In fact you can fundamentally disagree with it but that doesn’t make the point itself illegitimate or unworthy of discussion. And it would also be nice if we could remember that the person who is disagreeing with your philosophy is indeed A PERSON as in he or she is a human being who should be treated as such!

Because honestly, if I had to pick a side after reading both Loh’s article and the comments on the LA Times site I’d have to side with the adulterous Loh which is sad because I don’t even fully agree with her stance and I certainly don’t condone some of her conduct but at least in her article she keeps the focus primarily on the institution she disdains rather than the individuals who embrace it.


Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!

Sophie Is Getting Stronger

Many people have asked me about the false report that Lust, Loathing And A Little Lip Gloss was the set to be the last Sophie book. That was never the plan, not for me and certainly not for my publishing house.

However I was considering making the 5th Sophie book (Vows, Vendettas And A Little Black Dress, due in stores June 2010) the last one in the series. The Sophie books have done well but the series didn’t seem to be growing. I began to suspect that if I was going to bring my career to the next level I was going to have to abandon Sophie and move on to something new. Of course I hoped that Lust, Loathing and A Little Lip Gloss would be a fabulous success that would change everything but hoping and believing are two different things. Warnings from economic and industry naysayers surrounded me. “Bookstores are watching their inventory so orders will be down,” they said. “People aren’t buying as many books anymore.” “The genre you write is out of style.”

And then a few months before my book’s scheduled release something amazing happened. Despite what Barnes & Noble’s CEO has called the worst retail environment he has ever seen, the wholesale orders for my book weren’t down from my previous publications. They were up. And then you, my wonderful Sophie-loving-readers, rushed to your nearest bookseller and bought my book. You even recommended it to your friends and they too started buying. You made it very clear that regardless of what the critics say, Sophie isn’t going out of style. Or perhaps it’s sex, humor and action that isn’t going out of style. Either way Lust, Loathing And A Little Lip Gloss is off to a very good start.

Of course it’s still early in the game and I certainly don’t want to jinx myself. I hope that you will all continue to recommend Lust, Loathing And A Little Lip Gloss to your friends and that more of you will enter the contest before the August 15th deadline. But it’s worth noting that my name on the next book cover will be considerably bigger (and that’s a privilege you have to earn) and Mira (my publisher) is taking renewed interest in the series. If the internet buzz and sales keep up it will continue to make Sophie more attractive to Hollywood and will help pave a path to the silver screen (or to the smaller screen in your living room…we’ll have to see). Last, but absolutely not least I hope that those of you who want to buy Sex, Murder And A Double Latte will continue to email me. It is still available on my publisher’s website but I have begun to forward your emailed requests that it be carried in your favorite bookstore to my publisher and they’re starting to pay attention. The more emails I get the better chance we have of getting Sex, Murder on the shelves again. In the meantime it continues to sell well on Kindle and it is still one of iTunes top ten romance books in the US, The UK, France, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Norway, Spain, and Sweden. Lust, Loathing and A Little Lip Gloss also just made the top ten iTunes romance books in the US so I owe you all major thanks for that.

Anyway this blog is basically just another one of my “Thank You” posts. Thank you for staying loyal to the series. Thank you for introducing new people to the series and most of all I want to thank you for keeping Sophie alive. She’s become a dear friend to me and I hope she continues to be a friend to all of you.


Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!